Portage high school scores | Oct. 19: Crestwood, Rootstown soccer win sectional titles
MANTUA — Soccer games can be decided in an instant.
Eighty minutes of endless starting and stopping, sprinting through the night and jousting in the air for headers, all defined by a simple series of passes.
So it was for the Crestwood boys soccer team Thursday night as it secured its second straight sectional championship with a 1-0 victory over Bristol.
The lone goal of the match occurred seemingly out of nowhere for the Red Devils (11-6-0).
In the 24th minute, Crestwood senior Hans Seibold received the ball around the Bristol 42-yard line on a pass back. Seibold controlled the tricky high-hopper, ran seven yards and then played a sharp roller through the middle to junior Elijah Jurisch.
In receiving the pass, Jurisch somehow managed to get behind the last defender. Just like that, it was a one-on-one.
Jurisch has scored 32 goals this season for a reason. Sure enough, the junior slickly played his shot past the keeper and just inside the left post.
That lead held up despite a number of close calls, including a couple of scorchers just over the bar by the Panthers' Jordan Holliday.
Holliday was involved in another near-miss in the 72nd minute when he sent a well-placed corner toward the back post. Zachary Caldwell rose in the air to meet Holliday's service and sent a sharp header toward the net, but Red Devils keeper Charlie Schweickert dove right to make the save.
With that save, and a number of other fine stops Thursday, the senior keeper posted a shutout in his final match at Jack Lambert Stadium.
No. 14 Crestwood will next travel to No. 2 United for a Tuesday district semifinal.
Rootstown 1, Northwestern 0
The 12th-seeded Rovers pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2023 postseason, topping the third-seeded Huskies on a late goal by Nathan Pastor.
Fellow senior Brady Fillmore had the assist on Pastor's goal with 34 seconds remaining in regulation.
Trent Gauer kept the Rovers in it until that point, posting an 11-save shutout.
Lake Center 4, Southeast 1
Next up for the Rovers — a Portage Trail Conference battle with the Tigers in a Division III district semifinal.
LCC won another all-PTC battle in Thursday's sectional final, scoring two goals over the last 14 minutes to help cement a hard-fought victory.
Gavin Bertka scored the Pirates' lone goal off an assist by Tristan Finch.
Volleyball
Mogadore def. Cornerstone Christian, 16-25, 25-14, 21-25, 25-20, 15-11
Kenzington Miller had an impressive 29 digs to help lead the Wildcats to a sectional championship.
Kendall Barcus spearheaded the Mogadore attack with 17 assists, with Jordin Twiddy finishing a number of those points to record 13 kills.
Kaitlyn Clester made her impact known on both sides of the ball with five kills and six blocks for the Wildcats.
Newton Falls def. Windham, 25-17, 25-9, 25-19
Senior Briah Daniel impressed in her Bombers finale, recording eight kills and six blocks.
Junior Quinn Justham was also a force on offense and defense with 19 digs and 14 assists.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage County roundups and scores from Oct. 19, 2023
